Fetal tissue implant
Encyclopedia
Fetal tissue implant or fetal cell therapy is an experimental medical therapy where researchers implant tissue from a fetus
to a patient for treatment of disease. In the case of Parkinson's disease
, it is hoped that the fetal tissue would produce chemicals, specifically dopamine
, which is lacking in the diseased brain. This therapy is also being investigated for treatment of Alzheimer's disease
and Huntington's disease
. Fetal tissue is unique since it is fast growing and has a lower possibility of rejection from the host's immune system
than adult cells.
were diagnosed with Parkinsonism
after having used MPPP
contaminated with MPTP
. In 1992, two of the seven patients were successfully treated at Lund University Hospital
in Sweden
with neural grafts of fetal tissue. One patient, who had been essentially paralyzed, regained enough motor function to ride a bicycle.
and Bush
before being lifted under the Clinton
administration.
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
to a patient for treatment of disease. In the case of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, it is hoped that the fetal tissue would produce chemicals, specifically dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
, which is lacking in the diseased brain. This therapy is also being investigated for treatment of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
and Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease, chorea, or disorder , is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It typically becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea...
. Fetal tissue is unique since it is fast growing and has a lower possibility of rejection from the host's immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
than adult cells.
Uses
In 1982, seven people in Santa Clara County, CaliforniaSanta Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
were diagnosed with Parkinsonism
Parkinsonism
Parkinsonism is a neurological syndrome characterized by tremor, hypokinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. The underlying causes of parkinsonism are numerous, and diagnosis can be complex...
after having used MPPP
MPPP
1-Methyl-4-phenyl-4-propionoxypiperidine or Desmethylprodine is an opioid analgesic drug developed in the 1940s by researchers at Hoffmann-La Roche. It is not used in clinical practice, but has been illegally manufactured for recreational drug use...
contaminated with MPTP
MPTP
MPTP is a neurotoxin precursor to MPP+, which causes permanent symptoms of Parkinson's disease by destroying dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain...
. In 1992, two of the seven patients were successfully treated at Lund University Hospital
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with neural grafts of fetal tissue. One patient, who had been essentially paralyzed, regained enough motor function to ride a bicycle.
Ethical and political concerns
Because the source of the tissue is aborted fetuses, there are significant legal and ethical issues being discussed. Federal funding for embryonic tissue research was restricted in the United States under Presidents ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
before being lifted under the Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
administration.